There is something quite remarkable in how Mario, who is over 30 years old, has maintained his position as gaming's No 1 superstar. Yet titles as wonderful as 3D World should be an object lesson to his rivals.

The latest Mario platformer is beautiful, with stunning HD visuals and glorious music that matches the franchise's best. All of which is, of course, but garnish to the main course – 3D World's gameplay is as finely tuned and bonkers as you'd expect. Each level is different from the last, skipping from carnivals to race tracks. And each world is crammed with more ideas, secrets and power-ups than most other games have in their entirety. The highlight (in power-up terms at least) is the cat suit, which allows Mario to scamper up walls and obstacles with ease, adding a new dimension to the traditional challenges.

Equally, while 3D World is a beautiful single-player experience, it's also built for four players, with wide-open levels and multiple routes, so that Mario, Peach, Luigi and Toad can team up. A chaotic experience and a real treat for families.

The headlines this Christmas may be about PS4 and Xbox One, but this season's real creative masterpiece is only on Wii U.